Human Cocoons and Other Products of Rainy Days
by Accio Abarero
Summary: Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane: Peter shows up soaking wet to tutor Mary Jane.


**Title:** Human Cocoons and Other Products of Rainy Days  
**Fandom:** Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane  
**Genre:** General/Romance/Humor  
**Rating:** PG  
**Pairing:** Peter/Mary Jane  
**Notes:** Set between issues #1 and 2.

* * *

_"The torrential rainfall this afternoon didn't stop this spectacular sight downtown as Spider-Man and nemesis Doc Ock got into a full-fledged brawl. Our reporter on the scene now, Bev, tells us it was quite a sight!"_

_"Yes indeed it was! As you can see behind me, the buildings are going to have to call for some water-damage as well as Ock-damage thanks to the large holes the fight left behind which are now filling with the eight to twelve inches of rain predicted for today. But the real topic on everyone's mind right now is Spider-Man's impaired vision during battle. Our favorite web slinger seemed a bit off his game as the thick rain caused several misses and led to several hits. Ouch! Back to you, Bryan!"_

_"Thanks Bev! Sounds like Spidey could use some rain-vision-powers along with his wall-crawling abilities. But at least he's not one of us poor folks with glasses out in this mess. And speaking of our lovely weather, let's go to David for our weather forecast for this evening."_

Mary Jane turned off the TV and flopped over on her bed. Glancing at the clock she sighed.

"Where is he?"

It wasn't like Peter to be this late for algebra tutoring, especially without at least a rushed phone call in which he'd babble about some inane thing he'd forgotten to do that would make him late. And the idea that Peter just decided to skip it was laughable. If there was one thing Peter took way too seriously, it was algebra.

Just about to bite the bullet and attempt to tackle it on her own, Mary Jane started as she heard a knock at the front door.

"Coming!" She called out, weaving her way down the hall and towards the door.

Swinging the door open, there stood Peter with a lopsided grin.

"Hey, MJ."

"Hey yourself. What did you do, decide to go swimming?"

Peter looked down at his soaked clothes. He figured mentioning that he had sort of dropped them in a puddle when changing out of a spandex costume wouldn't work too well. He shrugged.

"It's raining."

Mary Jane reached out and pushed a sopping piece of hair out of his face. Her fingers brushing his forehead, she paused.

"You're freezing. Come inside, I'll see if I have something you can change into and we'll throw your shirt in the dryer."

"I'll be okay, I just need to..."

"And your glasses! Peter, if you think I'm going to let you tutor me while you're sitting there half-blinded by streaked specs and shivering..."

He sneezed and Mary Jane put her hands on her hips, daring him to argue any further.

Peter put up his hands in defeat. "Okay, I surrender. Just don't force me into something pink of your mother's and I'll go willingly."

Mary Jane smirked, playfully pushing him towards the bathroom. "You just go get out of that dripping wet shirt and I'll go find something pink and frilly of mine instead, how 'bout that?"

"Well..." He held back a blush over what she might own that fit that description. "I don't know how warm that'll keep me."

"Hey!" Mary Jane's face went bright red as she caught the implication. "For that, I should let you walk around shirtless."

Peter knew if he was a smooth-talking guy, he would have made some comment about how he'd be more than willing to strut his manly stuff if Mary Jane donned the aforementioned pink and frilly item; but being as his Aunt and Uncle had definitely raised him better, he didn't press the issue.

Nervously taking off his glasses to wipe the water-streaks off them, he unthinkingly wiped them on his soaked shirt.

"Here, give me those." Mary Jane stuck out her hand and took the glasses from him, "Go on and get that lake you've turned into a shirt off. I'm sure I have something _normal_ that might fit you."

"Sorry about this, MJ."

She smiled, "It's not your fault it's pouring the Atlantic Ocean on us out there. Don't worry about it."

She shut the door of the bathroom behind him and he sighed in relief. On the upside, he told himself, the fact he showed up drenched made Mary Jane forget all about the fact he was late. And, even more importantly, kept her from possibly realizing that Spider-Man's fight with Doc Ock finished only several minutes before he showed up on her doorstep.

Pulling his shirt off over his head, he winced as the muscles in his lower back twinged. Turning to see it in the mirror, he grimaced.

"Thanks Doc for the lovely souvenir from our fight. I've always wanted a giant nasty bruise on my back." Prodding it experimentally with a finger, he winced again. "This is going to look terrible in the morning."

"Peter?" He froze at the voice. "I've got a shirt for you. You'll just have to make do with your pants."

"Okay... ouch."

"What's wrong?"

He rubbed his back where he'd bumped it on the sink. "Just a little out of focus, that's all."

"If you're decent I could..."

"I am, but..."

Before he could finish, Mary Jane pushed the door open; her eyes immediately catching sight of the large bruise.

"Peter, what happened?"

He sighed, quickly trying to come up with a story that sounded plausible. _Guess it's time to play the clumsy geek card..._

"I...er... I kind of slipped in a puddle and landed on my back. That's why I'm soaked. I guess I landed on a rock or something."

Mary Jane smiled, setting the shirt she held aside on the towel rack and scooping up the towel.

"You're going to need ice for that, even if you're already shivering. Here, towel off and I'll get an ice pack ready for you. We'll wrap you in my comforter while we study."

"Ice pack and a comforter- sounds like a plan, MJ."

"And be more careful, you goof. That bruise looks like you fell off a building or something."

_Thrown into a building to be exact, but close,_ Peter thought to himself with a smile.

Closing the door behind her, Mary Jane shook her head. Peter was sweet, that was for certain; and he was definitely more buff than most people would expect the science nerd to be, she thought with a small blush. But he certainly managed to have a lot of strange accidents. Picking up his glasses from the hall table, she wiped them on her shirt.

_Maybe it's a vision thing. I mean, if the prescription in your glasses was a bit off that might account for some of the trouble he gets into. I just hope some jerk isn't picking on him again at school..._

* * *

"I feel like a human cocoon."

Mary Jane giggled, glancing at the bundle behind her on the bed that was Peter Parker caped in her comforter.

"So what, are you going to turn into a beautiful butterfly?"

"Actually, butterflies develop in a chrysalis, moths and some other holometabolous insects are the ones who have cocoons."

"Peter. Algebra?"

"Ah, right."

He fell silent long enough for her to somehow suffer through another grueling problem. Just as she was about to start in on the next headache-inducing jumble of numbers, Peter piped up again.

"Where did you get this shirt anyways?"

Pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear, Mary Jane fidgeted. "Promise you won't totally freak out?"

"It's Flash's isn't it?"

"Err..."

"I was taking a wild guess by the pit stains that it wasn't Harry's."

"Yeah. Yeah, it's Flash's." She warily looked up at him. "You're...not going to have a fit or something?"

"Oh sure, let me go all Hulk about it. Nah, I'm more curious than anything. I'll scrub all the jock germs off me when I get home. It might be contagious."

She had to laugh at that. Then again, _Flash_ would pitch a fit if he knew dweeby Peter Parker was in his shirt.

"Long story short: Liz had it, they got into a fight over something stupid and she ditched it here because, to quote her, she couldn't _stand_ having it in her house."

Peter laughed. "Ah I see. Well, you can tell Flash personally I am very thankful for the use of it. I'm sure he'll go and burn it ritualistically or something."

"You are something else, Peter Parker."

"I'm just trying to look on the bright side."

The two of them grinned at each other, not looking away until they both seemed to realize they were staring. Quickly adverting their eyes, Mary Jane mumbled to herself, "Algebra. Right."

* * *

"It's not too damp is it?"

Peter shook his head, "Nope. Dryer did its job. Shirt's all nice and warm now."

"Good."

The two stood awkwardly by the front door, both wanting to say more but not knowing what to say.

"Thanks again, MJ."

She shook her head. "Hey, don't thank me. I'm not the one tutoring stupid ole me on Algebra while chilled to the bone and with a bruise I'm sure Spider-Man would envy. You're the superhero here, not me. Thank _you_, Peter."

He smiled, shyly glancing down at his shoes. "I try."

Just about to let him out the front door, Mary Jane noticed his glasses tucked in his front pocket to keep the rain from streaking them again.

"Ah, here."

Reaching out, she pulled his glasses out of his pocket and opened them up. Peter blinked, trying to figure out what she was up to as she gently slid them onto his face.

She smiled nervously and pushed a strand of hair out of his eyes.

"I'll loan you an umbrella. Don't want you having anymore unfortunate accidents."

"Thanks."

Once again, the two just stared at each other; Mary Jane finally pulling away muttering "Right, umbrella!" as she went off to find one. She returned moments later, pushing it into Peter's hands.

"See you tomorrow?"

"Of course." He smiled at her, opening up the umbrella. "I'll have to return your umbrella after all. Goodnight, Mary Jane."

"Goodnight, Peter."

She waved as he walked off down the sidewalk. Once he was out of sight, she closed the front door and grabbed up the nearest phone.

"Liz? Hi. I think you're right."

"Of course I am. What is this about again?"

Mary Jane took a deep breath.

"I...I think I was just flirting with Peter Parker. And...Isawhimwithouthisshirton."

Liz sighed. "Oh boy, this is serious. Okay, just take a few breaths and start from the beginning. I'll attempt to walk you through your sad attempts at denial."

"Liz..."

"Hush. No excuses. Just start talking."

"Well, it started when Peter showed up for tutoring. He was totally soaked from the rain and..."

* * *


End file.
